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Russell-Cooke Training Contract 2029

Applications close 3 February 2027. Pays £46,000 a year in London.

No published policyTraining Contract (2029 intake)

Unconfirmed. Russell-Cooke publishes no sponsorship policy for its training contract, so we cannot state a firm answer. Applications for the 2029 training contract and 2027 vacation scheme share the same window. The firm publishes first and second year trainee salaries directly on its graduate recruitment page, but its dedicated FAQ page, which covers entry requirements, interviews, seat allocation and SQE funding, does not include a visa sponsorship question.

Sponsors grads?
Not published
Pay vs threshold
Clears the threshold
Opportunity
training contract
Pay
First year £46,000, second year £48,500 (as at 2025)
2027 cycle
Applications open 4 November 2026 and close 3 February 2027
Confidence
high

Russell-Cooke Training Contract: at a glance

Russell-Cooke's training contract is a two-year programme in which trainees do four seats, including at least one contentious and one non-contentious seat. Recent seats include family and children, property litigation, charity and not for profit, private client, real estate, corporate and commercial, personal injury, medical negligence and dispute resolution. Trainees have a dedicated supervisor in each seat with mid-seat and end-of-seat reviews. The firm is offering 10 training contract vacancies for its 2029 intake, with applications open from 4 November 2026 to 3 February 2027. Source

Duration
Two years“We believe that it is important that all trainees complete the two year training contract”Source
Start date
September for most of the intake“with the majority of our intake in September”Source
Who can apply
Applicants from any degree discipline with a minimum 2:1 degree and AAB at A-level; law degrees are not preferred over other subjectsSource
Locations
London“Russell-Cooke LLP, 8 Bedford Row, London, WC1R 4BX”Source
Starting pay
£46k first-year trainee salary, increasing to £48.5k in the second year“Our current first-year trainee salary is £46k increasing to £48.5k for second year trainees.”Source
Degree requirement
Minimum 2:1 degree in any discipline, plus AAB at A-level“We require a minimum 2:1 degree and AAB at A-level.”Source

How Russell-Cooke recruits

2029 training contract (applications 4 November 2026 to 3 February 2027). 4 stages, from Russell-Cooke's own careers pages, checked 2026-10-03. Test providers are named only where Russell-Cooke names them.

  1. Application form

    Application form

    Online application form, screened blind. Contextual recruitment via Rare.

    “Please detail any relevant information in your application form for us to take into consideration. [...] We are unable to provide feedback or identify your application due to our blind screening process and high number of applications.”
    Source

  2. First interview

    Other stage

    "Getting to know you" interview with a senior associate. Format (in person or video) not stated.

    “We invite selected applicants for two interviews: a first 'getting to know you' interview with one of our senior associates.”
    Source

  3. Second interview (assessment centre)

    Assessment centre

    Assessment day: letter-writing exercise based on a case study about a fictitious firm, then a round table discussion on legal market topics.

    “for those who are shortlisted, the second interview is essentially an assessment centre. It consists of a letter writing exercise based around a case study on a fictitious firm, followed by a round table discussion on a variety of topics relevant to the legal market.”
    Source

  4. Final interview

    Partner interview

    Relaxed interview with the graduate recruitment partner, two partners and the Head of People, plus lunch with trainees and an office tour.

    “The final stage is an interview with our graduate recruitment partner, two partners and our Head of People, which is very relaxed chat.”
    Source

Every programme and stage at Russell-Cooke

“Applications for our 2029 training contract and 2027 vacation scheme will open on 4 November 2026 and close on 3 February 2027.”
Russell-Cooke, from its own careers pages
The catch: Only 10 training contract vacancies are offered for the 2029 intake, and the firm's FAQ list omits any visa sponsorship question, unlike most peer firms.
Russell-Cooke early careersVerify on gov.uk

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What Russell-Cooke publishes about this programme

Checked against Russell-Cooke's own careers pages on 2026-09-23. Anything not published is worth asking the early careers team before you apply.

  • Visa sponsorship policy: not published
  • Application dates: published
  • Programme description: published
  • Duration and start date: published
  • Who can apply: published
  • Pay: published
  • Locations: published
  • Degree requirement: published
  • Recruitment stages: published

More early careers programmes at Russell-Cooke

Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-09-23. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does Russell-Cooke sponsor visas for its training contract?

Unconfirmed. Russell-Cooke publishes no sponsorship policy for its training contract, so we cannot state a firm answer. Applications for the 2029 training contract and 2027 vacation scheme share the same window. The firm publishes first and second year trainee salaries directly on its graduate recruitment page, but its dedicated FAQ page, which covers entry requirements, interviews, seat allocation and SQE funding, does not include a visa sponsorship question.

What is the Russell-Cooke training contract?

Russell-Cooke's training contract is a two-year programme in which trainees do four seats, including at least one contentious and one non-contentious seat. Recent seats include family and children, property litigation, charity and not for profit, private client, real estate, corporate and commercial, personal injury, medical negligence and dispute resolution. Trainees have a dedicated supervisor in each seat with mid-seat and end-of-seat reviews. The firm is offering 10 training contract vacancies for its 2029 intake, with applications open from 4 November 2026 to 3 February 2027.

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme clears the Skilled Worker salary threshold.

What is the catch international students miss with Russell-Cooke?

Only 10 training contract vacancies are offered for the 2029 intake, and the firm's FAQ list omits any visa sponsorship question, unlike most peer firms.

When do applications open for the Russell-Cooke training contract?

Applications open 4 November 2026 and close 3 February 2027. Checked on 2026-09-23 against Russell-Cooke's own site.

How long is the Russell-Cooke training contract?

Two years, according to Russell-Cooke's own careers information.

When does the Russell-Cooke training contract start?

September for most of the intake, according to Russell-Cooke's own careers information.

Who can apply for the Russell-Cooke training contract?

Applicants from any degree discipline with a minimum 2:1 degree and AAB at A-level; law degrees are not preferred over other subjects, according to Russell-Cooke's own careers information.

Where is the Russell-Cooke training contract based?

London, according to Russell-Cooke's own careers information.

What does the Russell-Cooke training contract pay?

£46k first-year trainee salary, increasing to £48.5k in the second year, according to Russell-Cooke's own careers information.

What degree do you need for the Russell-Cooke training contract?

Minimum 2:1 degree in any discipline, plus AAB at A-level, according to Russell-Cooke's own careers information.

How should I confirm Russell-Cooke's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on Russell-Cooke's careers site, ask its early-careers team directly, and check the employer on the gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors. Policies and thresholds change, so treat this page as a starting point and confirm for the exact role and cycle.

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Sponsorship data: Home Office register + job ad wording. Not immigration advice, verify on gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. How we check this data.